It’s time for another Royal Sampler.
PICTURE OF THE DAY
DAILY TAKE
It seems like all Kansas State does these days is announce sold out football games.
The Wildcats are up to four as of Tuesday morning with only three more to go. Games against Missouri State, North Texas, Oklahoma State and Kansas will all be played in front of capacity crowds at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Never before has K-State sold out so many games prior to the start of a season.
Coming off a 10-3 campaign, excitement has been high for the Wildcats since the Cotton Bowl ended. But K-State athletic officials deserve credit for selling so many seats.
They combined Snyder’s team with a creative Internet video series and sold discounted tickets in many different ways. With a reduced stadium capacity (some seats have been removed to make way for renovations) K-State could play all seven of its homes games in front of jam-packed crowds this season.
Scott Garrett, K-State assistant athletic director of Ticketing and Fan Strategies, says to expect more sellouts. In an e-mail, Garrett indicated K-State has 140 tickets remaining for the Texas game on Dec. 1 and 250 remaining for the Texas Tech game on Oct. 27.
“Those two will definitely sell-out,” Garrett said.
The only game that might not sellout is the Sept. 8 matchup against Miami. That might sound odd, because it is one of the best games on K-State’s schedule. But Tickets are being sold for $75, and it is a morning kickoff. Garrett said there are approximately 1,600 tickets remaining.
“We’ve been selling about 700 a week since the beginning of the month,” Garrett said. “So at that pace it will be very, very close.”
K-State has never sold out all of its football games before. That might happen this year. It all depends on how many fans purchase tickets for the Miami game over the next two weeks.
LINKS
– Does Missouri State have a chance against Kansas State on Saturday? After watching Eastern Kentucky play the Wildcats tough last year in the season-opener and Massachusetts push them in 2009, anything is possible.
But only Lloyd Christmas would be excited about Missouri State’s odds after reading the opening of this story from the Standard:
It’s easy to count out the Bears before they even take the field in Manhattan to battle the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday, in the season opener for both teams.
After all, Missouri State is 1-26 all-time against FBS opponents, and the last time the Bears made a visit to Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium on Sept. 11, 2010, the Wildcats steamrolled the Bears’ defense, racking up 493 offensive yards in a 48-24 victory.
One win in 27 tries against FBS opponents? Ouch.
– Here’s another story that doesn’t make Missouri State sound too good:
The Bears are predicted to finish last in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this year after going 2-9 last season
– Here’s my first Big 12 report of the season, complete with a look at which new quarterbacks face the most pressure this season, what running backs are coming back from injury, a dull weekend of games and some power rankings.
– And here is my look at the four basketball recruits who will visit Kansas State over the next two weeks.
– Interesting situation developing with Texas A&M’s opening game at Louisiana Tech. Hurricane Isaac may force the teams to move the game to a later date.
– And here is a good read on UTEP coach Mike Price, who has come full circle since he last coached against Oklahoma.